AP sources: Jennifer Azzi new San Francisco coach

SAN FRANCISCO(AP) -- Jennifer Azzi will be the University of San
Francisco's new women's basketball coach, two people with
knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday
night.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the school
had yet to make a formal announcement. The 1996 gold medalist
and former Stanford All-American and WNBA star is set to be
introduced by the school in a news conference Friday - her first
major coaching job.

The 41-year-old Azzi is widely considered one of the best
women's basketball players ever. While at Stanford, she led the
Cardinal to their first NCAA title in 1990.

This is a huge, high-profile hire for USF athletic director
Debra Gore-Mann, who came from Stanford. She and Azzi will be
determined to turn the women's program back into a contender in
the West Coast Conference.

Azzi replaces Tanya Haave, who was fired late last month after
four disappointing seasons. Azzi - who refers to herself as a
health and wellness enthusiast on her Twitter account - has
worked as a motivational speaker and stayed close to the
Stanford program and coach Tara VanDerveer.

Haave went 36-86 overall and 12-44 in conference play during her
tenure, including 5-27 overall and 1-13 in WCC play this season.
It marked the Dons' fourth straight seventh-place finish in the
conference.

Haave, a former Denver assistant hired in April 2006 to become
only the seventh head coach at USF, was a three-year starter
during her playing career at Tennessee from 1980-84. She also
spent four years as an assistant coach at Colorado.